February 20, 2008

Wedding Location: Where to Marry?

Jon and I are not particularly religious, and our technical religions clash anyway, so we decided to do a non-religious ceremony.

This presents a horrible logistical problem, which we are in the throes of solving, but that is another post.

The positive side of this is that we are not marrying indoors, and got to choose an outdoor location. And, we only have to choose TWO locations. Yes, in Switzerland, there are three. Okay, four if you count the civil ceremony. But for the day of the wedding, there is usually a Church wedding, followed by a road caravan to a place for the Apero (cocktail hour) for another two hours, and then the road caravan goes to the Dinner Reception location for the rest of the night.

So we cut one whole place from our list, but this means that we needed a place that could do an outdoor ceremony, and provide the cocktails.

This is the first choice. My favorite local castle, a brilliant tiny village. So, so quaint.

Unfortunately, no catering here -we would have to find one – and the highway would be noisy, though possibly we would not hear it because of the ring of trees? Also, sort of far and isolated location.

Choice 2, a Mansion turned hotel and restaurant. They are in “downtown” (cough) Neuchâtel, so people could walk over, and serve cocktails.

The interior was gilded and ornate, and very much not my style though. The problem outside is that they don’t provide chairs! So everyone is standing, though only for a half hour.

So we went back and forth about these two locations…ugh forever. But then one day Jon suddenly remembered another place, it just was not in Neuchâtel, not even in the same canton! But, it was still only twenty minutes – as far as choice one.

Well, when we got there there was no question. We booked the date that morning! Cuteness:You can book your restaurant dinner in the special one-table-room seen here in the foreground.

The crazy thing is that we cannot even afford to stay a night at this place. It wouldn’t make sense, since Swiss weddings last until the wee hours of the night, it would be a waste. But, that’s just the excuse that makes us feel better :), truly we can’t afford it! Check out these rooms though…